Thailand

Pad thai

Rice noodles wok-tossed with tamarind, egg, peanuts and lime at the table.

Tom yum goong

Hot-and-sour prawn soup built on lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime and bird's eye chilli.

Som tam

Green papaya pounded in a mortar with chilli, lime, dried shrimp and palm sugar.

Kaeng khiao wan

Green curry of coconut milk, pea aubergines and basil — sweeter and hotter than it looks.

Massaman

Muslim-influenced curry with cardamom, cinnamon, peanuts and potato, mild and fragrant.

Khao soi

Chiang Mai coconut curry noodles crowned with a nest of crisp fried ones.

Tom kha gai

Coconut milk soup with chicken and galangal, sour and creamy rather than fiery.

Pad kra pao

Minced pork stir-fried hard with holy basil and chilli, topped with a fried egg.

Larb

Isan minced-meat salad with toasted rice powder, lime, mint and chilli.

Khao man gai

Poached chicken over rice cooked in its broth, with a fermented soybean-ginger sauce.

Moo ping

Coconut-marinated pork skewers grilled over charcoal, sold with sticky rice at dawn.

Kuaitiao ruea

Dark, intensely spiced beef noodle broth, ordered several small bowls at a time.

Panang

Thick, peanut-rich curry clinging to beef, milder and drier than the green.

Kaeng som

Southern sour orange curry of fish and vegetables, with no coconut to soften it.

Yam nua

Grilled beef sliced into a salad of lime, fish sauce, shallot and mint.

Sai ua

Northern herb sausage packed with lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaf.

Khao niao mamuang

Ripe mango with coconut-soaked sticky rice and a drizzle of salted cream.

Khanom krok

Coconut-rice puddings cooked in a dimpled pan, crisp outside and molten within.

Cha yen

Orange-bright spiced tea poured over ice under a cap of condensed milk.

Sangkhaya fak thong

Pandan coconut custard steamed inside a whole pumpkin, then sliced into wedges.